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Endowed scholarship to benefit criminal justice students

PLATTEVILLE, Wis. — Joe Lomax, emeritus professor of criminal justice, and Dr. David Van Buren, emeritus associate vice chancellor and former criminal justice professor at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, have established an endowed scholarship for students pursuing careers in criminal justice. They are challenging alumni to match their first gifts of $1,000 to raise $50,000 for the scholarship fund.

Assistant director of development at UW-Platteville, Stacia Stephenson, has been working with Lomax and Van Buren to set up this scholarship and to meet with criminal justice alumni to share the scholarship opportunity. To date, nearly $22,000 has been raised. “The support that Lomax, Van Buren, other faculty and our alumni have shown has driven the quick start towards the $50,000 endowment goal,” she said. “I think it shows tremendous character on behalf of the criminal justice department.”

Stan Stojkovic, a 1977 criminal justice graduate and dean of the Helen Bader School of Social Welfare at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, has made a $10,000 lead gift to the scholarship and encourages his fellow alumni to consider a gift as well. “My message is: Here’s an opportunity to enhance and reward these young students pursuing criminal justice at UW-Platteville but who have financial difficulties,” Stojkovic said. “When we went to school, the cost of tuition was peanuts – it was nothing. Eighteen credits for me was $342. Granted, that was 40 years ago, but now it’s thousands and thousands. This is a way to help students obtain a degree and pursue a career.”

Lomax and Van Buren are also working to establish an annual criminal justice social during Homecoming weekend. This year’s event will be held Oct. 11. They encourage all alumni to attend and reconnect with former classmates and professors. A scholarship update will be given.

“We, in the criminal justice department and the university want to create an atmosphere that conveys to all criminal justice alumni that we value them and are extremely proud of their contributions to the criminal justice field,” said Lomax. “We want to have a time when all criminal justice alumni can return to campus and share their experiences.”

For more information about how to support the scholarship contact Stephenson at (608) 342-6122 or stephensons@uwplatt.edu.